Saturday, May 5, 2012

It has been three months since the event, but better late then never! The following is a quick post about Pudding Pie's fabulous rainbow-themed 5th birthday bash.

How do you fancy our rainbow banner? I think we had about 80 balloons in this! (All balloons blown by the old school way by Mommy. Next time I'm investing in one of those balloon pumps!) I found a wonderful step by step tutorial on how to execute this at Design Mom.

The invitations and rainbow labels were custom designed by the super talented Heather of Chickabug.

I made the rainbow cake and, although it had a rather severe tilt (6 layers will do that), I was so pleased with the end result. (My first time working with fondant, too!) My dear friend Jackie, of 1derful Bakes, gave me a crash course in fondant decorating and Pudding Pie decorated the top with edible markers. I wish I could say I came up with the rainbow cake recipe on my own, but I didn't. I have the Whisk Kid to thank for this - found via Sweetapolita's fab site - thank you, talented ladies!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

An
Exchange of Notes

In
which I learn that my daughter is more of a tour de force than I previously
thought.

This
afternoon, I am pounding away on my laptop, hoping to finish up some work before
we must leave for my afternoon job. My daughteris listlessly rolling around on the bed, bored and not heeding repeated
admonitions to stop the various activities she is engaging in to get my
attention. I snap after she decides to unfasten my computer bag shoulder strap
and use it as a lasso to catch our elderly cat. The cat beats a hasty retreat
and I rebuke my child very sharply. Silence. Then, she gives me her intimidated/hurt/little
bit defiant look and marches out of the room. Seconds later I hear her
bedroom door slam shut. One ticked off five-year-old.

No
problem, now I can finish up work without the background
interference. I resume working, but I feel bad. Did I have to be that sharp with her? I
decide to smooth those ruffled feathers with a note pushed under her door. So I do, then I tap on
the door, call out “special delivery!” and go back to work. This will make her happy again.

Exhibit
A:

My guilt alleviated and her good graces regained.

Except it doesn't quite work out this way. Some
time later (hmm, longer than I thought it would take), she yells out “special delivery”
herself and again I hear her door slam. This time, she’s left me a note outside her door.

Exhibit
B:

Translation:
“I don’t love you until you apologize”

What?!
I am speechless at how she has skillfully turned this around. One crisp sentence with a clear
message: You are in trouble with me, Mommy! (And who knew she could string
sentences together on paper like this?!) She is right, an apology is in order.

Exhibit
C:

Mommy surrenders.

My second note is snatched from underneath the door. There is much sighing and sounding out of words (and a little help from the other side of the door). Then more sighing and sounding out of words as she crafts her response. Finally, the note is slid under the door and now I snatch it up (and do my own sighing and deciphering of words...).

Exhibit
D:

Translation: “I
love you my dad more than my mom but mom
I still love you mommy.”

Still
nursing wounded feelings with a final, calculated zinger to mom's heart, but
beginning to soften her stance...

What did I learn today? My frustrated rebukes go deeper than I thought. I am so lucky to have this smart, sensitive little girl to hold me accountable. :)